Donata Magrin (main article) is a geoscientist passionate about making a positive impact on people and the planet. She is the founder of Way to Eco, a consultancy for corporates, local authorities and other customers aiming to reduce their environmental impact. She can be reached at
donata@waytoeco.com
We all know the huge benefits of recycling, but it can be difficult to learn recycling systems in a new city. Whether to screw the bottle caps back on, toss batteries in the bin, include cellophane or a host of other questions, the number of rules can seem overwhelming. However, there are solutions to each of these issues. First, always research your area’s guidelines by postal code. At
www.gov.uk/recycling-collections you can search your ad- dress or postal code to learn about what materials are collected in your residence area. To find your specific collection day, you may have to email a council representative whose email address can be found online once you have entered your address into the address box on the above site. At
www.londonrecycles.co.uk, you can find more details concerning what materials to include in which recycling container by entering your postal code into the designated box.
DO RECYCLE ◉ Soap bottles without the pumps ◉ Spray cleaners with the triggers ◉ Bleach bottles ◉ Shampoo and shower gel bottles ◉ Pots for yoghurt, soup, dips ◉ Tubs for things like cream cheese ◉ Trays for fruit, vegetables, meat
DO NOT RECYCLE
◉ Dirty nappies ◉ Medical supplies ◉ Plastic bottles containing chemicals ◉ Crisp packets and sweet wrappers ◉ Film lids from pots and trays ◉ Squeezable toothpaste tubes ◉ Polystyrene/Styrofoam
Beyond researching the guidelines for your particular residence, there are a few rules of thumb to keep in mind:
1. Most plastic bottles can be recycled, and it is good to crush the bottles and replace the caps before recycling to save space.
2. Cellophane and single use plastics should not be recycled and will gum up the recycling machinery if they are included.
3. Scrunch a piece of paper to find out whether it can be recycled. If the paper bounces back, put it in the bin, not the recycling sack.
6. Do not mix textile recycling with other recycling. If your residence area does not recycle textile items, you can bring them to textile banks in supermarket and local car parks.
7. Batteries can be recycled at specific locations. At
www.recyclenow.com/what-to-do-with/batteries-1, you can find your nearest site.
8. Whole appliances and machinery can be recycled at your nearest recycling centre if your council does not offer a collection service. Find out where your closest centre is at
www.recyclenow.com/local-recycling.
9. Check recycling labels on your products. For a refresher course, check
www.recyclenow.com to learn what each symbol means.
10.Do not put your recycling in a black plastic bag or it will be mistaken for rubbish
Kay Teekell (this page) is the communication and events intern at FOCUS while she studies in London. Originally from Texas, she is completing her degree in English literature at Southwestern University and can be contacted at
marketing@focus-info.org.
www.focus-info.org FOCUS The Magazine 23
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